1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coating and developing apparatus for coating a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer or an LCD substrate (glass substrate for a liquid crystal display panel) with a resist liquid and developing the substrate after exposure thereof, a substrate processing method, and a storage medium storing a program for executing the substrate processing method.
2. Description of Related Art
One of the processes for manufacturing a semiconductor device and an LCD substrate includes a series of steps in which a resist film is formed on a substrate, then the resist film is exposed with the use of a photomask, and thereafter the resist film is developed so as to obtain a desired pattern. This process is generally performed by a system including a coating and developing apparatus for coating a substrate with a resist liquid and developing the substrate, and an exposure apparatus connected to the coating and developing apparatus. Substrates on which a certain resist pattern has been formed are subjected to a predetermined inspection in which a line width of the resist pattern, an overlapping condition of the resist pattern and a base pattern, a development defect, and so on are checked for each substrate. Then, only the accepted substrates are transferred to the succeeding step. This inspection of the substrates is often conducted by a so-called standalone type inspecting apparatus which is separated from a coating and developing apparatus. However, it is more convenient to employ a so-called inline system in which the coating and developing apparatus includes a substrate inspecting apparatus.
JP2002-33266A (section 0095) describes a coating and developing apparatus employing such an inline system. As shown in FIG. 14, in the apparatus disclosed in this document, a process block (process area) P2 and an interface block (interface area) P3 are connected to a carrier block (carrier area) P1 at a rear side thereof. Further, an exposure apparatus P4 is connected to the interface block P3. The carrier block P1 has a carrier stage 11 on which a carrier 10 containing a plurality of substrates is placed, and a transfer arm (transfer mechanism for the carrier block) 12 for sending a substrate to the carrier 10 placed on the carrier stage 11 and receiving a substrate therefrom. A substrate contained in the carrier 10 is loaded into the process block P2 via the transfer arm 12, and then a resist film is formed on the substrate in the process block P2. Thereafter, the substrate having the resist film formed thereon is loaded through the interface block P3 into the exposure apparatus P4 where the substrate is subjected to an exposure process. The exposed substrate is loaded through the interface block P3 into the process block P2 where the substrate is subjected to a developing process. The developed substrate is received by the transfer arm 12 which then transfers the same into the carrier block P1.
A substrate inspection unit 13 is disposed on a lateral side of the carrier block P1. The developed substrate is loaded into the substrate inspection unit 13 by the transfer arm 12 via an intermediate stage 15 and a special arm 14, and is subjected to the above-described inspection. The inspected substrate is reversely delivered to the transfer arm 12 through the reversed path, and is returned to the original carrier 10.
When the substrate inspection unit 13 is connected to a block other than the carrier block P1, e.g., when the substrate inspection unit 13 is connected to the interface block P3, the developed substrate has to be returned again to the interface block P3. This structure complicates the transfer channel of the substrate, which results in a degraded substrate transferring efficiency. Further, since the interface block P3 accommodates a buffer cassette for absorbing a difference in processing speeds of the interface block P3 and the exposure apparatus, and a temperature adjusting unit for precisely setting a temperature of the substrate at a temperature of the exposure apparatus, there is not an enough space for the substrate inspection unit in the process block. Thus, in order to accommodate the substrate inspection unit, the interface block P3 has to be enlarged. Alternatively, disposition of the substrate inspection unit 13 in the process block P2 is disadvantageous in terms of space and transfer channel.
For these reasons, the substrate inspection unit 13 is connected to the carrier block P1. This structure is highly advantageous in that, even when the coating and developing processes are stopped for, e.g., a maintenance of the process block P2, a substrate can be loaded into the substrate inspection unit 13 from outside through the carrier block P1, i.e., the substrate inspection unit 13 can be independently used.
However, the substrate inspection unit 13 connected to the lateral side of the carrier block P1 laterally protrudes therefrom. Thus, when the coating and developing apparatus together with the substrate inspection unit is installed in a clean room, such an installation is inefficient in the utilization of space, whereby there arises a problem regarding arrangement of a peripheral equipment and securement of a maintenance space. In particular, when a larger substrate, e.g. a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer (referred to as “wafer” below) having a diameter not less than 12 inches is processed, the substrate inspection unit 13 is necessarily enlarged, which makes the problem more serious.
JP2006-269672A discloses an example in which an inspecting block having the substrate inspection unit is interposed between the carrier block and the process block. However, this layout requires a larger space for installation including a layout of the process block. In addition, since a substrate transfer mechanism disposed on the inspecting block takes charge both of a transferring operation of a substrate between the carrier block and the process block and a transferring operation of a substrate to the inspection unit, the transfer mechanism bears an increased burden.